City Information

Getting a visit visa into Germany is a fairly quick process. U.A.E and most G.C.C country nationals will need their passport (valid for atleast 6 months), two passport photographs, a copy of a health insurance policy, completed application forms and proof of the reason for travel (i.e. hotel booking, letter from host etc) to be taken to the nearest German visa center. There are however, other visas that can be applied for: • business visas • work permits • student visas The application fees vary depending on how long your stay is, but is in the range of €60. The application forms are relatively short and easy to handle. A Schengen-visa is a helpful tool that allows travel into many mainland European countries for 90 days in six months. The member countries include Denmark, Slovakia, Portugal, Iceland, Austria, Malta, Italy, Latvia, Belgium, Finland, and Switzerland. For a full list, see the German consulate website (quoted below).

Berlin is in a temperate climate zone so the general weather is quite pleasant all through the year. There are four distinct seasons. Temperatures don’t have too large a range between the extremes; -1°C in the winter (December-February) up to around 25°C in the summer (June-August). Needless to say, if you do not enjoy the cold, do not travel in winter, and if you do, remember to take enough warm clothing. The tourist season is from May to October but there are attractions and festivals all through the year. Check beforehand to see which ones you will be able to witness. Being the arts and music hub of Germany, there will definitely be several concerts, plays and exhibitions on play during your trip for you to take advantage of.

-Location: Berlin is situated in the north-east of Germany, in the midst of a network of lakes and marshes. The river Spree follows a valley carved out by ice flows many thousands of years ago, and meets the wide river Havel in the borough of Spandau. Most of the region is flat with a few rolling hills. It is about 70km west from the border of Poland, and is completely surrounded by the region of Brandenburg. It is the cultural and administrative capital and most populous city in Germany, and is also a centre for commerce with many European companies headquartered there.

The Euro (€) is the currency in German

The weekend in Germany, like the rest of the European Union, is Saturday-Sunday; New Year’s Day:: 1st Jan Good Friday (the Friday before Easter Sunday, generally in April. The exact date depends on the lunar calendar. Easter Monday, Ascension Day and Whit Monday also depend on the day of Easter) Easter Monday; Labour Day:: 1st May (there are sometimes riots in the city the night before and after)

Month High (°C) Low(°C) January 2.9 -1.9 February 4.2 -1.5 March 8.5 1.3 April 13.2 4.2 May 18.9 9.0 June 21.6 12.3 July 23.7 14.3 August 23.6 14.1 September 18.8 10.6 October 13.4 6.4 November 7.1 2.2 December 4.4 -0.4

It is difficult to describe a ‘typical’ Berliner, simply because society is always changing and the people of the city come from a variety of backgrounds. Most of the residents have lived in the city for less than ten years and it is not easy to find a ‘born-and-bred’ Berliner. The society is quite multicultural and young, because of the universities located in the city, and the vibrant arts, dance and music scenes.

Berlin is a large and prosperous city, where business and slick city styles amalgamate with vibrant arts, music and youth scenes. It is built over several waterways making almost any journey require crossing a bridge. Beautiful ancient architecture, bombed out shells of buildings, modern monuments and murals painted by children make up some of the sights you will see when you first come into the city. The Berlin region is separated into 12 boroughs, each with its own distinctive character. This is due to the former separation of the regions. There are many top-class museums and places of historic and architectural interest to explore, and interesting restaurants and nightspots to discover.

Berlin has had an illustrious history, if a relatively short one, and has been in the hands of five forms of government, all in the 20th century. Berlin was only founded as a city in the 13th Century and was initially a small town. It was amalgamated with neighboring CölIn (which is the current Neukölln) to make a town of 8000 residents.